Articulated Oral Airway
One embodiment of an oral airway comprised of two articulating parts which displace the tongue anteriorly and stent open the oropharynx. This device reversibly locks in a conformation which allows it to be used as a conduit for a fiberoptic scope or other airway device. An adjunct to airway management which can be used when mask ventilation or endotracheal intubation is indicated and can be removed easily after intubation without manipulation of the endotracheal tube. Other embodiments are described as shown.
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This Patent claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61093322, for “Articulated Intubating Airway,” filed 2008 Aug. 31 by the present inventor.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCHNot Applicable
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAMNot Applicable
BACKGROUND1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of Anesthesiology, specifically to airway management.
2. Prior Art
Flexible fiberoptic intubation of the trachea allows for placement of an endotracheal tube (ETT) with minimal manipulation of the patients airway. A significant disadvantage of this technique is that, for an image to be seen, an “airspace” (a space void of visual obstruction) must be created. If the tip of the fiberoptic scope is touching the patient's airway or any foreign objects in the patient's airway, the result would be analogous to leaving the lens cap on a camera and the necessary anatomy would not be seen. For this reason, inventors of medical devices have attempted to design instruments which both 1) displace airway anatomy to create the needed “airspace” and 2) act as a conduit through which a flexible fiberoptic scope with an ETT threaded over it can pass.
Multiple devices attempt to facilitate fiberoptic intubation via specially designed oral airways. U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,930 is an oral airway with an ellipsoidal cross-sectional shape which allows the passage of an ETT-sheathed fiberoptic scope and has a distal end which is open along its lingual surface to facilitate said passage. Two important disadvantages of this design are that 1) the static conformation of the distal end can not actively displace airway obstructions and 2) once the ETT is passed via the device, the proximal end of the tube must be disassembled to allow the device to be removed, carrying significant risk of inadvertent repositioning of the tube. The first above disadvantage was addressed by Greenberg (U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,063) who designed an intubating oral airway with a proximal end similar in function to that of Williams, but added a distal inflatable cuff to displace oropharyngeal obstructions. While addressing the first-listed disadvantage, the design of U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,063 does not address the second. U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,540 is a device with upper and lower hinged/articulated segment which act together to displace oropharyngeal obstructions but, like U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,063, does not permit the passage of an ETT via its lumen. U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,218 (via flexible guidewalls which allow removal of the device after intubation) addresses the second disadvantage but does not actively displace oropharyngeal obstructions. Another device which allows for removal of the device after intubation is WIPO Patent Application WO/2008/083368 which works via a two-component system which can couple and uncouple around an endotracheal tube using magnets. However, similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,218, WIPO Patent Application WO/2008/083368 does not have a segment that actively displaces the tongue anteriorly to create a larger lumenal airspace.
Insofar as I am aware no intubating oral airway formerly developed allows for both significant displacement of oropharyngeal obstruction and for device removal without manipulation of the ETT.
SUMMARYIn accordance with one embodiment, an articulating oral airway which allows for both displacement of oropharyngeal obstructions and convenient placement of an ETT via the device.
In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.
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- 1 latch tabs
- 2 latch tab receptacles
- 3 pyramidal protrusions
- 4 articulating hooks
- 5 articulating hook receptacles
- 6 point of articulation
- 7 lip abutment of Part A
- 8 lip abutment of Part B
- 9 joined lip abutments of Parts A and B
- 10 lumen of Part A
- 11 lumen of Part B
- 12 joined lumens of Parts A and B
- 13 opposing magnets
- 14 articulating hook bars
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- Airway: A generic term for the anatomy from the lips and nasal passages to the lungs
- Apositioned: Being apposed; putting side by side
- Articulated: Consisting of segments held together by joints
- Endotracheal: Inside the trachea (“windpipe”)
- Endotracheal Tube (ETT): A tube placed in the trachea, typically to allow passage of external gasses into the lungs
- Oral Airway: A generic term for a device designed to stent (support) open the oropharynx
- Oropharynx: The anatomy from the lips to the vocal cords
- Vocal Cords: The anatomic structures at the top of the trachea which participate in sound production
This invention has two articulating/disarticulating parts which will be called Part A (anterior component) and Part B (posterior component). The parts are shown in
Size: This invention is sized to reach from the lips, externally, to approximately the mid-tongue internally. Sizes will vary based on the size of the patient. All sizes can be attained by to-scale shrinkage/enlargement of the described design.
Operation First EmbodimentThe manner of using the articulating oral airway begins with articulation of Parts A and B in the Open position (
See “DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1A through 4—FIRST EMBODIMENT” above.
Operation Second EmbodimentThe manner of using the Second Embodiment of articulating oral airway is identical to the First Embodiment with the following difference: With the device inserted, the oropharynx is now stented open and ventilation may be performed via a mask placed over the airway.
FIGS. 5 through 7 Third EmbodimentThis embodiment of the invention is identical to the First Embodiment except the following difference: The latch tabs 1 and latch tab receptacles 2 are replaced with opposing magnets 13. When in the Closed position these magnets will serve the purpose of the latch tabs/latch tabs receptacles of the First Embodiment for keeping the device in the Closed position.
Operation Third EmbodimentThe manner of using this embodiment of the articulating oral airway is identical to the First Embodiment except for the following: When in the Closed position the magnets 13 of Part A and B hold the device in the Closed position. To remove the device the magnetic seal is broken by pulling the magnets/lip abutments apart. With the lip abutments 7/8 separated, the device returns to the Open position. From the Open position the articulating hooks are removed from the articulating hook receptacles and the device is separated into its component parts (Parts A and B) and removed from the mouth.
FIGS. 8 through 10 Fourth EmbodimentThis embodiment of the invention is identical to the First Embodiment except the following difference: The articulating hook receptacles 5 are replaced with articulating hook bars 14 on either side of Part B. When joining Parts A and B together these bars will serve the purpose of the articulating hook receptacles of the First Embodiment as the point of initial attachment and the point of articulation.
Operation Fourth EmbodimentThe manner of using this embodiment of the articulating oral airway is identical to the First Embodiment except for the following: When connecting Parts A and B, the articulating hook 4 latches over and articulates with the articulating hook bars 14 on either side of Part B rather than through the articulating hook receptacles 5 as in the First Embodiment.
CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPEAccordingly the reader will see that, according to the various embodiments of the invention, I have provided an oral airway which can be placed easily, displaces the tongue anteriorly and stents open the oropharynx for easier mask ventilation. This device can be used as a conduit for a fiberoptic scope or other airway device and may be removed easily after intubation without manipulation of the ETT. In addition, this device proves to be an easily used, inexpensive adjunct to airway management appropriate for any time mask ventilation or fiberoptic intubation is indicated.
While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. For example, the size of this device can be scaled up and down to be used in patients of varying sizes. Also, the two articulating parts may be made of various colors or be tethered together by a stretchable band. Another example would be that the Closed conformation may be maintained by means to keep the distal ends apart rather than by keeping the proximal ends together.
Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.
Claims
1. An oropharyngeal stent comprising:
- (a) an anterior part with posteriorly facing concavity,
- (b) a posterior part with anteriorly facing concavity,
- (c) means for reversibly joining said parts via articulants to form a complete distal lumen when the distal ends are apositioned and a complete proximal lumen when the proximal ends are apositioned,
- (d) coupling means for reversibly preventing said proximally apositioned lumen from uncoupling,
- whereby ease of passage of entities via said oropharynx is increased by distraction of oropharyngeal obstructions.
2. The stent of claim 1 wherein said articulants contain means to switch between said proximally and distally apositioned orientations.
3. The stent of claim 1 wherein said articulants contain means for disarticulation with said entities present in said lumen,
- whereby said stent can be removed from said oropharynx without manipulation of said entities.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 29, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 4, 2010
Patent Grant number: 8794230
Applicant: (East Greenbush, NY)
Inventor: Ron Owen Abrons (East Greenbush, NY)
Application Number: 12/550,365
International Classification: A61M 16/00 (20060101);